Takasugi Shinsaku

He was a central figure in the anti-shogunate faction in the Choshu domain during the late Edo period, and the founder of the Kiheitai. His given name was Harukaze, his pen name was Nobuo, and his pen name was Togyo. He was born as the eldest son of Takasugi Tanji, a samurai in the Ogumi (horse riding group) with a family stipend of 150 koku. As a boy, he attended the domain school Meirinkan, but in 1857 (Ansei 4) at the age of 19, he entered the Shoka Sonjuku school and was taught by Yoshida Shoin. He and Kusaka Genzui were soon called the "two pillars of village life" and were expected to have a bright future. In 1858, he went to Edo and entered the Shoheiko high school of the shogunate. After Shoin's execution in 1859, he worked hard to retrieve his remains. After returning to Japan in 1860 (Man'en 1), he worked at Meirinkan, but eventually became a page to the heir Motonori. In 1862 (Bunkyu 2), he traveled to Shanghai with an envoy from the shogunate and saw the reality of the invasion by the Western powers. For this reason, after returning to Japan, he advised the feudal government to abandon the policy of uniting the Imperial Court and the Shogunate and adopt a policy of enriching the country and strengthening the military. However, the feudal government did not adopt this policy, so he went into exile and promoted the Joi movement. At the end of the same year, he and his comrades burned down the British Embassy in Gotenyama, Edo. In 1863, he shaved his head and returned to Japan under the name Togyo, but when the Shimonoseki War broke out, he was selected to become a clerk to the Magistrate of Shimonoseki. There, upon learning of the defeat of the samurai troops, he founded the Kiheitai and became its commander-in-chief. The Kiheitai was a new military force that was open to all ranks, and did not discriminate between class. He later became an envoy for the Shimonoseki peace negotiations, but went into exile after disagreements with the feudal government. In 1864 (Genji 1), he gathered various troops in Shimonoseki, and the following year, in 1865 (Keio 1), he won an internal conflict and took control of the feudal government. In 1866, during the Second Choshu Expedition (Shikyo War), he became the commander of the Kokuraguchi area and the overall commander of the entire army, and was victorious, but died of pulmonary tuberculosis in Shimonoseki on April 14, 1867. He was 29 years old.

[Nobuhisa Hirota]

"Takasugi Shinsaku" by Tatsuya Naramoto (1965, Chuokoron-Shinsha)" ▽ "Takasugi Togyo Sensei Centennial Celebration Celebration Committee's edited and published "Togyo - Takasugi Shinsaku" (1966)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

幕末期長州藩における討幕派の中心人物であり、奇兵隊の創設者。名は春風、字(あざな)は暢夫(ちょうふ)、号を東行(とうぎょう)。大組(おおぐみ)（馬廻組(うままわりぐみ)）士、家禄(かろく)150石高杉丹治(たんじ)の嫡子として出生。少年期、藩校明倫館(めいりんかん)に入学するが、1857年（安政4）19歳のとき松下村塾(しょうかそんじゅく)に入り、吉田松陰(よしだしょういん)の教育を受ける。やがて久坂玄瑞(くさかげんずい)とともに「村下の双璧(そうへき)」と称され、将来を嘱望される。1858年江戸へ出て幕府昌平黌(しょうへいこう)に入学。1859年松陰刑死後は遺骸(いがい)引き取りに奔走する。1860年（万延1）帰国後明倫館に勤務するが、やがて世子元徳(もとのり)付きの小姓(こしょう)となる。1862年（文久2）幕府の使節とともに上海(シャンハイ)に渡り、西洋列強国侵略の実情をみる。このため帰国後藩府に対し、公武合体策を放棄し富国強兵策の採用を進言する。しかし藩府が不採用のため亡命し、攘夷(じょうい)運動を推進する。同年末、江戸御殿山(ごてんやま)のイギリス公使館を同志とともに焼打ちする。1863年剃髪(ていはつ)し東行と号して帰国するが、下関(しものせき)戦争が始まり馬関(ばかん)総奉行(そうぶぎょう)手元役に抜擢(ばってき)される。そこで武士隊の敗北を知り、奇兵隊を創設し総監となる。奇兵隊は士農工商を問わず入隊でき、階級差別のない新しい軍隊であった。この後、下関講和交渉の正使となるが、藩府と意見があわず亡命する。1864年（元治1）下関で諸隊を集め、翌1865年（慶応1）内訌(ないこう)戦に勝利し藩府の主導権を握る。1866年第二次長州征伐（四境(しきょう)戦争）では小倉口(こくらぐち)方面の指揮官および全軍の総指揮官となり、勝利するが、慶応(けいおう)3年4月14日肺結核のため下関で死去。29歳であった。

［広田暢久］

『奈良本辰也著『高杉晋作』（1965・中央公論社）』▽『高杉東行先生百年祭奉賛会編・刊『東行――高杉晋作』（1966）』

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